Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recreate
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location:Gillbergavägen 5 , – Eskilstuna , Södermanlands län , SE
Organization(s) Involved:Stålforsskolan Sf2
Contact Person:
Name:Leopold Mensah
Email:+46766969216 , leopold.mensah@eskilstuna.se
Web: www.eskilstuna.se
SUMMARY
Waste is an issue that affects us all. We all produce waste: on average, each of the 500 million people living in the EU throws away around half a tonne of household rubbish every year. This is on top of huge amounts of waste generated from activities such as manufacturing and construction, while water supply and energy production generate another 95 million tonnes. Altogether, the European Union produces up to 3 billion tonnes of waste every year.
This partnership will involve 3 main directions:
- Making an objective analysis of the current policies and situation related to waste management in each country, thus being able to identify common and differentiating aspects, which will enable us to organize the project activities and adapt the methodologies accordingly.
- Activities with students to promote reduction of garbage, re-use of existing objects and avoidance of overconsumption, and recycling materials to turn them into useful or aesthetic objects.
- All the way through the project, we will be working on a guide to waste management in schools and households that our schools can implement and share at the end of the project. Therefore, the third aim is to create a school-based system of eco waste management for the creation of which we will collaborate with the municipality and NGOS.
OBJECTIVES
The project addresses a general problem that has been focused on at the level of EU, but which has not found all
the solutions. While we will not solve all the problems related to waste management or eliminate its effects on the
environment, we intend to make a conscious effort to educate young people into becoming more environmentally
responsible citizens.
The project specific objectives are:
- To promote responsible and active citizenship among students
- To develop the students’ environmental consciousness
- To give students and teachers the chance to analyse current practices in waste management and make positive
changes - To turn the schools into ECO-friendly schools through the implementation of the waste management
programme - To improve intercultural awareness, promote tolerance, mutual respect and understanding
- To develop students’ creativity, critical thinking and team work skills
CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
High Volume of Waste Production
Household Waste: Each of the 500 million people living in the EU throws away around half a tonne of household rubbish annually. This significant amount of waste poses a considerable challenge for effective waste management.
Industrial Waste: Besides household waste, substantial amounts of waste are generated from manufacturing, construction, water supply, and energy production, contributing another 95 million tonnes annually.
Environmental Impact
Pollution: The massive waste production leads to severe environmental pollution, affecting air, soil, and water quality.
Resource Depletion: The continuous generation of waste results in the depletion of natural resources, necessitating the need for sustainable practices.
Current Waste Management Policies
Policy Analysis: There was a need to objectively analyze the current waste management policies in each participating country to identify common and unique aspects. This would help in organizing project activities and adapting methodologies appropriately.
Promotion of Sustainable Practices
Reduction of Waste: The project sought to promote the reduction of garbage through various activities with students, emphasizing the importance of minimizing waste production at the source.
Reuse and Recycling: Encouraging the re-use of existing objects and the recycling of materials to create useful or aesthetic items was another focus area. This would help in reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfills.
Educational Component
Student Engagement: By involving students in activities related to waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, the project aimed to instill sustainable habits and raise awareness about waste management among the younger generation.
Development of a Guide: The creation of a comprehensive guide to waste management in schools and households was a key objective. This guide would be implemented in schools and shared widely, providing practical strategies for effective waste management.
Collaboration with Stakeholders
Municipal and NGO Collaboration: The project emphasized collaboration with municipalities and NGOs to create a school-based system of eco waste management. This partnership was crucial for ensuring the successful implementation and sustainability of the waste management practices developed during the project.
By addressing these needs and issues, the project aimed to create a more sustainable approach to waste management, reduce environmental impact, and educate the community about the importance of responsible waste practices.
IMPLEMENTATION: ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGIES
In order to achieve these aims, we plan 5 transnational events, intertwined with local activities on specific topics:
C1 – Waste management policies – statistics, regulatory acts, laws (joint-staff training)
C2 – REDUCE – Effects on the environment of bad disposal methods
C3 – REUSE – Campaign to promote reuse of materials
C4 – RECYCLE and RECREATE – Discover the mine in the waste
C5 – Development and implementation of school-based waste management systems (joint-staff training)
PARTICIPANTS:
We will have an overall number of 96 students in the partnership who are going to attend all the 3 student exchanges
PROJECT OUTCOMES & LESSONS LEARNED
Our project is meant to produce a series of intangible results, which consist of beneficiaries’ acquired knowledge, skills, attitudes and environmental awareness; we will promote a culture of care for the environment that all partners will embrace and abide by.
Some of the tangible results include: initial and final evaluation forms completed by target groups, research and presentations about local and national policies regarding waste management, an e-magazine of environmental projects of the schools, students’ eco-diaries, surveys of local community members, art installations, e-brochure with DIY arts and crafts from recycled materials, Stop Waste Campaigns, Waste Management (WM) Programme for schools.
IMPACT
For all partner institutions, this Erasmus+ project is going to bring benefits at all levels. For project partners with previous Erasmus+ experience, this project will continue to foster the European and international dimension of the schools. By using eTwinning intensively in the project, we will also be able to identify new opportunities for collaborations on the same topics and will also extend our network of European schools.
Inexperienced partners will increase their project management capacity, thus improving their exchange management and organizational skills.
We all increase the student and teacher mobility and make improvements at the level of the institutions. Our institutions become more environmentally friendly, focusing on ways to improve waste management. If this is done properly, then the project will produce changes in students’ attitudes to the environment in the medium and long term. This will be carried on into their personal lives and we expect to produce changes in the community
too. In this way schools will confirm their key role in the education of future generations of adults.